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  Control apparatus for internal combustion engineUSPTO Application #: 20060136115Title: Control apparatus for internal combustion engine Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the invention obtains a first index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of an intake passage, using intake valve timing; obtains a correction value that reduces the first index, using exhaust valve timing and the intake valve timing; and calculates a second index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage, using the correction valve. The control apparatus controls the amount of fuel to be injected based on at least one of the first index and the second index. (end of abstract) Agent: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Koichi Kimura, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Katsutoshi Tanei, Tomoyuki Uchiyama USPTO Applicaton #: 20060136115 - Class: 701104000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, And Relative Location, Vehicle Control, Guidance, Operation, Or Indication, With Indicator Or Control Of Power Plant (e.g., Performance), Internal-combustion Engine, Digital Or Programmed Data Processor, Control Of Air/fuel Ratio Or Fuel Injection, Controlling Fuel Quantity The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060136115. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0001] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-366562 filed on Dec. 17, 2004 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine where intake valve timing and exhaust valve timing can be adjusted and fuel is injected into an intake passage, which calculates an index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of an intake passage based on the operating state of the engine, and controls the amount of fuel to be injected based on the index. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In internal combustion engines where fuel is injected into an intake passage from a fuel injection valve, part of the injected fuel adheres to the wall surface of the intake passage. The amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface is not constant, and varies depending on the operating state of the internal combustion engine. Accordingly, when the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface increases, the amount of fuel supplied to a combustion chamber is less than the amount of fuel injected from the fuel injection valve. When the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface decreases, the amount of fuel supplied to the combustion chamber is greater than the amount of fuel injected from the fuel injection valve. As a result, the air-fuel ratio estimated based on the amount of injected fuel and the amount of intake air is deviated from the actual air-fuel ratio. This deviation of the estimated air-fuel ratio from the actual air-fuel ratio may cause problems relating to the output of the engine and exhaust gas discharged from the engine. [0006] The amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface is greatly influenced by the valve overlap between the intake valve and the exhaust valve, which may cause exhaust gas to flow back to the intake passage. Therefore, in an internal combustion engine where the valve overlap can be adjusted, the deviation of the estimated air-fuel ratio from the actual air-fuel ratio needs to be prevented. Thus, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-11-36936 (hereinafter, referred to as No. 11-36936) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-8-261034 (hereinafter, referred to as No. 8-261034) describe control apparatuses which estimate an index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of an intake passage based on the valve overlap amount, and an advance angle of the intake valve timing corresponding to the valve overlap amount; and correct the amount of fuel to be injected based on the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage. [0007] However, the control apparatuses described in No. 11-36936 and No. 8-261034 execute the control on the assumption that only the intake valve timing is adjusted, and the exhaust valve timing is not adjusted. Therefore, consideration is not given to the influence of the valve timing on the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage in the case where both the intake valve timing and the exhaust valve timing can be changed even when the overlap amount remains the same. [0008] The intake valve timing and the exhaust valve timing are physical quantities different from each other. Thus, in the case where the technologies described in No. 11-36936 and No. 8-261034 are applied to the internal combustion engine where both the intake valve timing and the exhaust valve timing are adjusted, the behavior of the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage may be different from the estimated behavior, which reduces the accuracy in controlling the amount of fuel to be injected. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] A first aspect of the invention relates to a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which includes a calculation portion and a control portion. The calculation portion obtains a first index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of an intake passage, using intake valve timing, based on a first relation that is set between the intake valve timing and the first index under the condition that exhaust valve timing is fixed. The calculation portion obtains a correction value that reduces the first index, using the exhaust valve timing and the intake valve timing, based on a second relation that is set among the exhaust valve timing, the intake valve timing and the correction value under the condition that the exhaust valve timing is not fixed. The calculation portion calculates a second index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage, by correcting the first index using the correction value. The control apparatus controls the amount of fuel to be injected based on at least one of the first index and the second index. [0010] The intake valve timing has greater influence on the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage than the exhaust valve timing. Therefore, the appropriate second index can be obtained by calculating the first index that indicates the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage using the intake valve timing, and correcting the first index using the correction value that is obtained based on the relation among the exhaust valve timing, the intake valve timing and the correction value. [0011] Accordingly, the calculation portion calculates the second index by correcting the first index calculated based on the first relation, using the correction value calculated based on the second relation. [0012] With this configuration, the appropriate second index can be obtained. As a result, in the internal combustion engine where both the intake valve timing and the exhaust valve timing can be changed, the amount of fuel to be injected can be accurately controlled according to the change in the amount of fuel adhering to the wall surface of the intake passage, using the second index. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] The foregoing and/or further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of example embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and wherein: [0014] FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of the main portion of an engine for a vehicle to which a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to a first embodiment of the invention is applied; [0015] FIG. 2 illustrates the flowchart of a fuel injection amount control routine according to the first embodiment; [0016] FIG. 3 illustrates the flowchart of a wall adhesion correction amount calculation routine according to the first embodiment; [0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram explaining the configuration of a QMWin map according to the first embodiment; [0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram explaining the configuration of a Kvvt map according to the first embodiment; [0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram explaining the configuration of a Kne map according to the first embodiment; [0020] FIG. 7 illustrates the flowchart of a wall adhesion correction amount calculation routine in a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to a second embodiment of the invention; and Continue reading... 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